the jacket (the star-rover)-第6章

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when　the　same　player　played　both　sides。　　I　tried；　and　tried　vainly；

to　split　my　personality　into　two　personalities　and　to　pit　one

against　the　other。　　But　ever　I　remained　the　one　player；　with　no

planned　ruse　or　strategy　on　one　side　that　the　other　side　did　not

immediately　apprehend。



And　time　was　very　heavy　and　very　long。　　I　played　games　with　flies；

with　ordinary　houseflies　that　oozed　into　solitary　as　did　the　dim

gray　light；　and　learned　that　they　possessed　a　sense　of　play。　　For

instance；　lying　on　the　cell　floor；　I　established　an　arbitrary　and

imaginary　line　along　the　wall　some　three　feet　above　the　floor。　　When

they　rested　on　the　wall　above　this　line　they　were　left　in　peace。

The　instant　they　lighted　on　the　wall　below　the　line　I　tried　to　catch

them。　　I　was　careful　never　to　hurt　them；　and；　in　time；　they　knew　as

precisely　as　did　I　where　ran　the　imaginary　line。　　When　they　desired

to　play；　they　lighted　below　the　line；　and　often　for　an　hour　at　a

time　a　single　fly　would　engage　in　the　sport。　　When　it　grew　tired；　it

would　come　to　rest　on　the　safe　territory　above。



Of　the　dozen　or　more　flies　that　lived　with　me；　there　was　only　one

who　did　not　care　for　the　game。　　He　refused　steadfastly　to　play；　and；

having　learned　the　penalty　of　alighting　below　the　line；　very

carefully　avoided　the　unsafe　territory。　　That　fly　was　a　sullen；

disgruntled　creature。　　As　the　convicts　would　say；　it　had　a　〃grouch〃

against　the　world。　　He　never　played　with　the　other　flies　either。　　He

was　strong　and　healthy；　too；　for　I　studied　him　long　to　find　out。

His　indisposition　for　play　was　temperamental；　not　physical。



Believe　me；　I　knew　all　my　flies。　　It　was　surprising　to　me　the

multitude　of　differences　I　distinguished　between　them。　　Oh；　each　was

distinctly　an　individualnot　merely　in　size　and　markings；　strength；

and　speed　of　flight；　and　in　the　manner　and　fancy　of　flight　and　play；

of　dodge　and　dart；　of　wheel　and　swiftly　repeat　or　wheel　and　reverse；

of　touch　and　go　on　the　danger　wall；　or　of　feint　the　touch　and　alight

elsewhere　within　the　zone。　　They　were　likewise　sharply

differentiated　in　the　minutest　shades　of　mentality　and　temperament。



I　knew　the　nervous　ones；　the　phlegmatic　ones。　　There　was　a　little

undersized　one　that　would　fly　into　real　rages；　sometimes　with　me；

sometimes　with　its　fellows。　　Have　you　ever　seen　a　colt　or　a　calf

throw　up　its　heels　and　dash　madly　about　the　pasture　from　sheer

excess　of　vitality　and　spirits？　　Well；　there　was　one　flythe

keenest　player　of　them　all；　by　the　waywho；　when　it　had　alighted

three　or　four　times　in　rapid　succession　on　my　taboo　wall　and

succeeded　each　time　in　eluding　the　velvet…careful　swoop　of　my　hand；

would　grow　so　excited　and　jubilant　that　it　would　dart　around　and

around　my　head　at　top　speed；　wheeling；　veering；　reversing；　and

always　keeping　within　the　limits　of　the　narrow　circle　in　which　it

celebrated　its　triumph　over　me。



Why；　I　could　tell　well　in　advance　when　any　particular　fly　was　making

up　its　mind　to　begin　to　play。　　There　are　a　thousand　details　in　this

one　matter　alone　that　I　shall　not　bore　you　with；　although　these

details　did　serve　to　keep　me　from　being　bored　too　utterly　during

that　first　period　in　solitary。　　But　one　thing　I　must　tell　you。　　To

me　it　is　most　memorablethe　time　when　the　one　with　a　grouch；　who

never　played；　alighted　in　a　moment　of　absent…mindedness　within　the

taboo　precinct　and　was　immediately　captured　in　my　hand。　　Do　you

know；　he　sulked　for　an　hour　afterward。



And　the　hours　were　very　long　in　solitary；　nor　could　I　sleep　them　all

away；　nor　could　I　while　them　away　with　house…flies；　no　matter　how

intelligent。　　For　house…flies　are　house…flies；　and　I　was　a　man；　with

a　man's　brain；　and　my　brain　was　trained　and　active；　stuffed　with

culture　and　science；　and　always　geared　to　a　high　tension　of

eagerness　to　do。　　And　there　was　nothing　to　do；　and　my　thoughts　ran

abominably　on　in　vain　speculations。　　There　was　my　pentose　and

methyl…pentose　determination　in　grapes　and　wines　to　which　I　had

devoted　my　last　summer　vacation　at　the　Asti　Vineyards。　　I　had　all

but　completed　the　series　of　experiments。　　Was　anybody　else　going　on

with　it；　I　wondered；　and　if　so；　with　what　success？



You　see；　the　world　was　dead　to　me。　　No　news　of　it　filtered　in。　　The

history　of　science　was　making　fast；　and　I　was　interested　in　a

thousand　subjects。　　Why；　there　was　my　theory　of　the　hydrolysis　of

casein　by　trypsin；　which　Professor　Walters　had　been　carrying　out　in

his　laboratory。　　Also；　Professor　Schleimer　had　similarly　been

collaborating　with　me　in　the　detection　of　phytosterol　in　mixtures　of

animal　and　vegetable　fats。　　The　work　surely　was　going　on；　but　with

what　results？　　The　very　thought　of　all　this　activity　just　beyond　the

prison　walls　and　in　which　I　could　take　no　part；　of　which　I　was　never

even　to　hear；　was　maddening。　　And　in　the　meantime　I　lay　there　on　my

cell　floor　and　played　games　with　house…flies。



And　yet　all　was　not　silence　in　solitary。　　Early　in　my　confinement　I

used　to　hear；　at　irregular　intervals；　faint；　low　tappings。　　From

farther　away　I　also　heard　fainter　and　lower　tappings。　　Continually

these　tappings　were　interrupted　by　the　snarling　of　the　guard。　　On

occasion；　when　the　tapping　went　on　too　persistently；　extra　guards

were　summoned；　and　I　knew　by　the　sounds　that　men　were　being　strait…

jacketed。



The　matter　was　easy　of　explanation。　　I　had　known；　as　every　prisoner

in　San　Quentin　knew；　that　the　two　men　in　solitary　were　Ed　Morrell

and　Jake　Oppenheimer。　　And　I　knew　that　these　were　the　two　men　who

tapped　knuckle…talk　to　each　other　and　were　punished　for　so　doing。



That　the　code　they　used　was　simple　I　had　not　the　slightest　doubt；

yet　I　devoted　many　hours　to　a　vain　effort　to　work　it　out。　　Heaven

knowsit　had　to　be　simple；　yet　I　could　not　make　head　nor　tail　of

it。　　And　simple　it　proved　to　be；　when　I　learned　it；　and　simplest　of

all　proved　the　trick　they　employed　which　had　so　baffled　me。　　Not

only　each　day　did　they　change　the　point　in　the　alphabet　where　the

code　initialled；　but　they　changed　it　every　conversation；　and；　often；

in　the　midst　of　a　conversation。



Thus；　there　came　a　day　when　I　caught　the　code　at　the　right　initial；

listened　to　two　clear　sentences　of　conversation；　and；　the　next　time

they　talked；　failed　to　understand　a　word。　　But　that　first　time！



〃SayEdwhatwould　yougiverightnowforbrownpapers

andasackofBullDurham！〃　asked　the　one　who　tapped　from

farther　away。



I　nearly　cried　out　in　my　joy。　　Here　was　communication！　　Here　was

companionship！　　I　listened　eagerly；　and　the　nearer　tapping；　which　I

guessed　must　be　Ed　Morrell's；　replied：



〃Iwoulddotwentyhoursstraitinthejacketforafive…

…centsack〃



Then　came　the　snarling　interruption　of　the　guard：　　〃Cut　that　out；

Morrell！〃



It　may　be　thought　by　the　layman　that　the　worst　has　been　done　to　men

sentenced　to　solitary　for　life；　and　therefore　that　a　mere　guard　has

no　way　of　compelling　obedience　to　his　order　to　cease　tapping。



But　the　jacket　remains。　　Starvation　remains。　　Thirst　remains。　　Man…

handling　remains。　　Truly；　a　man　pent　in　a　narrow　cell　is　very

helpless。



So　the　tapping　ceased；　and　that　night；　when　it　was　next　resumed；　I

was　all　at　sea　again。　　By　pre…arrangement　they　had　changed　the

initial　letter　of　the　code。　　But　I　had　caught　the　clue；　and；　in　the

matter　of　several　days；　occurred　again　the　same　initialment　I　had

understood。　　I　did　not　wait　on　courtesy。



〃Hello；〃　I　tapped



〃Hello；　stranger；〃　Morrell　tapped　back；　and；　from　Oppenheimer；

〃Welcome　to　our　city。〃



They　were　curious　to　know　who　I　was；　how　long　I　was　condemned　to

solitary；　and　why　I　had　been　so　condemned。　　But　all　this　I　put　to

the　side　in　order　first　to　learn　their　system　of　changing　the　code

initial。　　After　I　had　this　clear；　we　talked。　　It　was　a　great　day；

for　the　two　lifers　had　become　three；　although　they　accepted　me　only

on　probation。　　As　they　told　me　long　after；　they　feared　I　might　be　a

stool　placed　there　to　work　a　frame…up　on　them。　　It　had　been　done

before；　to　Oppenheimer；　and　he　had　paid　dearly　for　the　confidence　he

reposed　in　Warden　Atherton's　tool。



To　my　surpriseyes；　to　my　elation　be　it　saidboth　my　fellow…

prisoners　knew　me　through　my　record　as　an　incorrigible。　　Even　into

the　living　grave　Oppenheimer　had　occupied　for　ten　years　had　my　fame；

or　notoriety；　rather；　penetrated。



I　had　much　to　tell　them　of　prison　happenings　and　of　the　outside

world。　　The　conspiracy　to　escape　of　the　forty　lifers；　the　search　for

the　alleged　dynamite；　and　all　the　treacherous　frame…up　of　Cecil

Winwood　was　news　to　them。　　As　they　told　me；　news　did　occasionally

dribble　into　solitary　by　way　of　the　guards；　but　they　had　had　nothing

for　a　couple　of　months。　　The　present　guards　on　duty　in　solitary　were

a　particularly　bad　and　vindictive　set。



Again　and　again　that　day　we　were　cursed　for　our　knuckle　talking　by

whatever　guard　was　on。　　But　we　could　not　refrain。　　The　two　of　the

living　dead　had　become　three；　and　we　had　so　much　to　say；　while　the

manner　of　saying　it　was　exasperatingly　slow　and　I　was　not　so

proficient　as　they　at　the　knuckle　game。



〃Wait　till　Pie…Face　comes　on　to…night；〃　Morrell　rapped　to　me。　　〃He

sleeps　most　of　his　watch；　and　we　can　talk　a　streak。〃



How　we　did　talk　that　night！　　Sleep　was　farthest　from　our　eyes。　　Pie…

Face　Jones　was　a　mean　and　bitter　man；　despite　his　fatness；　but　we

blessed　that　fatness　because　it　persuaded　to　stolen　snatches　of

slumber。　　Nevertheless　our　incessant　tapping　bothered　his　sleep　and

irritated　him　so　that　he　reprimanded　us　repeatedly。　　And　by　the

other　night　guards　we　were　roundly　cursed。　　In　the　morning　all

reported　much　tapping　during　the　night；　and　we　paid　for　our　little

holiday；　for；　at　nine；　came　Captain　Jamie　with　several　guards　to

lace　us　into　the　torment　of　the　jacket。　　Until　nine　the　following

morning；　for　twenty…four　straight　hours；　laced　and　helpless　on　the

floor；　without　food　or　water；　we　paid　the　price　for　speech。



Oh；　our　guards　were　brutes！　　And　under　their　treatment　we　had　to

harden　to　brutes　in　order　to　live。　　Hard　work　makes　calloused　hands。

Hard　guards　make　hard　prisoners。　　We　continued　to　talk；　and；　on

occasion；　to　be　jacketed　for　punishment。　　Night　was　the　best　time；

and；　when　substitute　guards　chanced　to　be　on；　we　often　talked

through　a　whole　shift。



Night　and　day　were　one　with　us　who　lived　in　the　dark。　　We　could

sleep　any　time；　we　could　knuckle…talk　only　on　occasion。　　We　told　one

another　much　of　the　history　of　our　lives；　and　for　long　hours　Morrell

and　I　have　lain　silently；　while　steadily；　with　faint；　far　taps；

Oppenheimer　slowly　spelled　out　his　life…story；　from　the　early　years

in　a　San　Francisco　slum；　through　his　gang…training；　through　his

initiation　into　all　that　was　vicious；　when　as　a　lad　of　fourteen　he

served　as　night　messenger　in　the　red　light　district；　through　his

first　detected　infraction　of　the　laws；　and　on　and　on　through　thefts

and　robberies　to